What is Robotic process automation (RPA)?

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Last Updated December 07, 2017

Introduction:

In this article, we will try to understand the latest kid in the block of automation and automation engineering. Robotic Process Automation, though a buzzword equivalent to Business Process Administration (BPA) / Business Process Management (BPM) has certain differences that clearly stands out between these two identical twins. Robotic Process Automation finds its usage with the lowest level of technical knowledge in individuals managing these software robots. Let us not take all of it in this section only, but let us take a walk through in an organized manner to gain the most of this technology. This article will be more than enough for an individual to gain the best understanding of what Robotic Process Automation is and where can it find its implementations?

What is RPA (Robotic Process Automation)?

Robotic Process Automation, by definition, means the use of software with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and also Machine Learning (ML) capabilities to handle high volumes of repeatable tasks which would previously have to be done by respective individuals than the software robots. Robotic Process Automation can be coined as that trend or breed of technology that has popped up over the past few years that is making the news in the industries of Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, and Automation Engineering. Robotic Process Automation can be considered as the system agnostic tool or software which makes it an ideal choice for any Organization to automate things in a better manner than the orthodox way of doing business without any automation.

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Having said all that, Robotic Process Automation can be considered pretty comfortably as the low-risk process of doing business in an automated way than using the most precious human resources on things that get repetitive over the time. Robotic Process Automation tools are for the non-technical business users who want to take advantage of the latest technology to do things for them instead of them doing it by themselves. This point attracts most of the non-technical users to gain access to these tools and automate the frustratingly repetitive jobs to be done by the software robots.

What can Robotic Process Automation do?

Robotic Process Automation is a software-based process, which can be used to perform a lot of varied variety of tasks. This can include in the maintenance of records, queries, calculations, complicated details, orders, transactions and anything of that sort. Looking at these varied kinds of details that can be handled, one thing for sure is that its implementation is not restricted by any factors as such. Hence the areas where it can be deployed, implemented, suggested are almost everything and hence the craze and the buzz that it is creating within the automation space and in general as well.

The prominent terminals from which these Robotic Process Automation robots can be integrated are Mainframe terminals, SAP, Oracle, Blackline, Salesforce and much more that fall into the same category of these. As per the Clients that it can interact with, there is no hurdle in integrating with technologies, frameworks or languages like Citrix, .Net, HTML, and Java. Any possibility of programmatic automation, Robotic Process Automation can find its way to root itself as the only option for automation.

There are no inefficiencies or challenges that are not answered with Robotic Process Automation, hence the trend in choosing it for all the required automation needs. It works pretty well with all the legacy business systems and on the other hand, can also manage people-intensive processes without any human intervention (by simulating things to be done by human beings as such). Robotic Process Automation not just automates your automation needs but also helps to curtail the needed funds that would go elsewhere if it were not to be automated with it.

RPA System Features:

What processes are suitable for Robotic Process Automation?

There aren’t any processes that are not suitable to Robotic Process Automation, but the comfort factor lies with processes that have proper documentation and also best-laid steps on how certain processes need to be performed – then such scenarios can be completely automated with the help of Robotic Process Automation. For example, credit card applications has a very thorough process that can fully be automated with all the details that are required starting from providing the required forms, next to collect all the required documents, next to perform all the credit checks, background checks, check for the eligibility of holding one credit card based on his repayment capabilities, offering an individual with the best of the features that are available with the bank and lure the customers into the other lines of businesses within the bank. Hence the whole process can be fully automated with the least amount of human intervention into the whole process as such. Apart from that, there are these things that can be achieved without any fuss:

Greater end-to-end Automation:

There are tools that can provide end to end automation for Organizations that belong to certain lines of businesses or certain business processes within the complete workflow. Having said that, the whole army of the software robots can be triggered based on the requirement at any point of the actual business process to perform the most repetitive works performed by individuals for an Organization. The result is much greater automation and greater visibility into the overall business process.

Rapid Transformation without Invasive Integration Projects:

In the current market, there are many organizations that are stuck with their old complex business processes and also the legacy business systems – that have become roadblocks in the path of automation and innovation. Instead of complete automation, targeting organizations as like these to automate the parts of business processes which are feasible and then to automate the rest of the process. This not only ensures that the Organization is on the right path of innovation and also opens up better options for the Organization as well.

Collaboration between Humans and Digital Workforce:

As there will be a clear marking between the works that Robotic Process Automation might cover and the rest will be taken over the actual workforce. This ensures that there will be better collaboration amongst individuals and also the Robotic Process Automation software robots as well. This brings us to the point where an individual can co-exist with a virtual employee who does things that can be done in the most efficient way.

What are the benefits of Robotic Process Automation?

After going through all the above sections of this article, you should be equally convinced on all the benefits that we have compiled that an individual or an Organization will reap with the Robotic Process Automation implementation within their workplace. There is arguably anyone who would reject any of the following advantages of Robotic Process Automation:

* The accuracy and precision of the quality of work
* Minimization of errors (human errors per se!)
* Process monitoring can be achieved to the most granular level
* Every action by a live robotic process can be comfortably recorded to be analyzed and optimized further
* Security compliances, auditing, and reporting are perfectly handled
* Lesser Human interaction/intervention
* Organizing smaller workforce to do things that matter the most, rest is covered by RPA
* Over the time, library of frequently used components be built for further requirements
* Fully flexible and completely Scalable
* Limited to work only on the front-end avoiding complexity, speeds up time-to-market
* Reduced risk
* Availability – 24 x 7 a week, 365 days a year guaranteed
* Higher speed and throughput
* Close to no IT support required for managing these RPA software robots
* Security
* Possibility of continuous learning and improvement wherever required
* Can maintain its Disaster recovery site itself for its own use
* Curtails operational challenges to zero as these are completely manageable locally
* Sensitive data can be processed by RPA software robots under strict surveillance
* Ability to route work based on the load that a single unit of RPA software robot can handle

What are the Robotic Process Automation tools?

Few of those providers include

* OpenSpan
* Automation Anywhere
* UI Path
* Blue Prism

What is the future of Robotic Process Automation tools?

Most of the Hollywood movies have already shown us a depiction of how Robots can automate most of our day to day works, though the movie “I, Robot” has taken it way too forward – but I would still suggest that this is how our future would be and also the future of Robotic Process Automation. The whole magic is thus weaved with the usage of tools that enhance the way Robotic Process Automation complements the way of our lives in the future. To come back to the real world, living a life as an individual represented in that movie is no longer a DREAM but will soon become a visual truth in the years to come, all thanks to Robotic Process Automation and also the tools that complement this process altogether.

Manufacturing sector on the first hand has already replaced most of the manual labor to replace them with robots to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of this industry, be it cars or candies. This has also caused a lot of job cuts in the respective labor industries. Most of the IT companies have already invested their time, effort and money into bringing up newer ideas by which most of the repetitive clerical tasks can be completely automated, without requiring any further human intervention.

Robotic Process Automation has found its implementation into the sectors as like Banking, Accounting, and Insurance – it is being proven as a gold rush for many of the Organizations. It is good to observe that the implementations are being implemented in sectors other than Manufacturing where RPA is already a big hit. Many of the biggies have already partnered with the vendors as mentioned early is working towards implementing RPA. To be real frank, the technology is probably only at 1% of the ultimate capabilities at present. To be able to wind up this sub-section on a good note, we have just scratched the surface of the iceberg – the whole iceberg is still to be identified.

Robotic Process Automation jobs trends:

Considering that you already have enough knowledge and you are in good position to appreciate the knowledge of BPM and BPI in your current organization, plan to get yourself an RPA based certification to cement your place in this niche area. These two things from your end should be able to get yourself a good opportunity and salary that you always wanted to get. With this technology on the rise, there are a plethora of opportunities made available in the automation engineering side and these opportunities are up for grabs with the best of the organizations – who can satisfy individuals with both the pay and also the kind of work that they get paid for. What else an individual would ask for if he gets the pay that he wants to and also gets satisfied with his or her daily job.

Conclusion:

This article provides a very detailed explanation of what Robotic Process Automation system and also provides many more details than just the definition of this sort of system. Hope all these details are well appreciated in this article, please provide your appreciation or your feedback via your comments in the comments section below.

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